A dangerous, damaging and disruptive situation will unfold in Florida this week as Tropical Storm Milton is forecast to evolve into a major hurricane and deliver flooding downpours. Even as Hurricane Helene was pressing toward the Florida coast, AccuWeather’s team of expert meteorologists had been monitoring part of the Gulf of Mexico for yet another round of tropical trouble. On Saturday afternoon, Tropical Storm Milton formed, just hours after becoming a tropical depression, and it was expected to intensify and strike the Florida Peninsula this week as a major hurricane, with torrential rain, wind and the likelihood of flooding. Thunderstorms have been persistently erupting in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico for the past few days. AccuWeather began to refer to the system as a tropical rainstorm late in the week to raise public awareness of the risk to lives and property and to assist in planning and preparation.

As Milton continues to churn over the warm Gulf waters over the next several days, it is expected to strengthen into a major, Category 3 hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale) before making landfall near Tampa Bay, Florida, on Wednesday. “This is an unusual and extremely concerning forecast track for a hurricane approaching the Tampa Bay area,” warned AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. “Milton could rapidly intensify into a major hurricane with extreme impacts. This hurricane could create a life-threatening storm surge. Please make sure your family and in friends in this area are prepared.” 

Due to flooding rainfall, damaging winds, and life-threatening storm surge, Milton is a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes 

Besides torrential rainfall and flooding concerns, Milton can bring damaging winds that cause power outages and even tornadoes.

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